cleaning continued today, as i took out all the grow lights from my closet and stored them in the basement. i also tossed out two old wooden bathroom medicine cabinets i didn't want anymore (they were gone soon afterwards, i'm happy to know somebody took them instead of getting dumped in the trash). i straightened up the spare bedroom, putting away a lot of stuff in my newly-emptied closet.
i went out in the afternoon to run errands. it was hot enough that i risked wearing a wife beater outside. it must've looked weird, with my dark farmer tanned forearms and my pale shoulders. i biked to target to get some laundry detergent (bigger selection, and they were having a sale). i'm normally a tide mountain fresh scent man myself, but i wanted to try something different so i bought a 100 fluid oz. container of 2x ultra tide plus with febreze sport active fresh scent (60 loads, $11).
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i passed by the recently-flooded somerville police headquarter. outside was mayor curtatone giving another televised interview addressing the water damage. i returned home via hanson street, even though it meant riding down a one way street in the wrong direction (fortunately it's not a very busy street). there's a lot of interesting things to see here, from somerville madonnas, to the duck speakeasy, to a warehouse with broken glass block windows.
i went out again briefly to get some fabric softener (i thought they'd be cheaper at the dollar store, but it was about the same, just with less selection), then once more again to the supermarket for some snacks (forgot to get orange juice though).
a hot day, but i tried not to use my air conditioner. i did turn it on a few times, but shut it off as soon as i felt cool enough. i do use a fan though, blasting at medium power directly into my face. it's actually not that bad, like riding in a car on a hot day with the windows down. it doesn't fight the humidity though; i solve that problem by taking frequent showers.
all this prolonged heat wave has gotten my macbook pro running seriously hot. i work off of a glass coffee table but after so many hours even that can feel hot to the touch. the heat has taken a toll on my battery life; i checked the capacity today and it can only hold a 50% charge at this point. i don't think that's normal for a battery that's only a year and a half old.
i bumped into my upstairs neighbor steve, who gave me the latest update on the skylight situation. he said the roofers came today to caulk the windows, which leaked again when he and his partner were away at martha's vineyard for the weekend. if the caulk holds, the cost of repair will be (only) $400. if it doesn't, all his skylights will have to be replaced, as well as replacing the entire roof. it just seems the more he talks, the more money it's going to cost me. he also brought up the subject of the condo fund again, so that's an additional amount i'll have to pay. i didn't tell him i had zero money at this point and there'd be no way i could afford a brand new roof this year. and other than the windows, this roof situation is news to me. the forecast is for some rain tonight: my fingers are crossed his windows aren't going to leak.
i tried out the new detergent on some slipcovers for my ikea tullsta armchairs. i've had these slipcovers for 8 years now and they're pretty faded. i saw replacement slipcovers the last time i was at ikea (forgot the color though - red? - the ones i have are navy blue) but for whatever reason they're expensive enough that it starts making more economic sense if i bought brand new armchairs instead (also the ones i saw cover the legs; the ones i have don't).
i also did a load of regular laundry; hot days like these, i go through sweaty clothes like tissue paper. an unfortunate accident: i washed my debit card then tumbled it for an hour in the dryer. the numbers have been rubbed smoothed, but the magnetic strip still looks intact, although a little faded in certain spots. i'll have to go to the bank tomorrow and test to see if it still works.
for dinner i had some leftover barbecued chicken. they taste before as leftovers (i heated them in the toaster oven, but i think eating cold just as good). earlier, a turkey sandwich for lunch, and a yogurt for breakfast. i had some black licorice, which will turn my poo green (is it just me then?).
some new shows on tonight: the return of white collar and the series premiere of covert affairs. so they really killed off neal caffrey's girlfriend? that was a boring plot anyway, but i almost expected her to return and the exploding airplane was just a ruse. and what's up with elizabeth, peter's wife? the scene of the two of them eating in a cafe was shot really weird, like they were squeezing the frame, or purposely blocking tiffani thiessen out of the picture. is she pregnant? or is it something else? the show creators are also still toying with the chemistry, with the re-introduction of diana barrigan (marsha thomason). not expecting them to pair her up with the recently single caffrey though, since she's supposedly a lesbian (at least according to the premiere episode).
covert affairs was the more interesting show, about a young woman joining the ranks of the CIA. comparisons will be made to alias: while alias was sexy and dangerous, covert affairs is more awkward and quirky - which isn't a bad thing, and seems to be a common thread for all USA network shows. there also seems to be more humor in covert affairs; alias was so heavy at times that you'd cry at the end of an episode. piper perabo is just as compelling to watch as was jennifer garner. the tech guy is also interesting, played bu christopher gorham, a blind technician beloved by all his female coworkers (don't often see a lot of sexy blind characters). and is it just me, or is there a bunch of 24 cast members in the show? especially in the upcoming episodes: kari matchett and gregory itzin (and a few more) - and a wire's lester freamon cameo! i hope he's becomes a series regular (although i know clarke peters is working on HBO's treme as well).